The Carnegie Carnival season culminates on parade day with a full slate of family friendly events all along Downtown Decatur’s parade route. A half marathon, children’s art activities, Children’s Parade, Canine parade, MardiGrass, and of course, the main event… the Carnegie Carnival Parade complete with Crewes, throws, music, and more! Speaking of throws, we’ve even created a bead recycling program to help with clean up!
March 1, 2025
Downtown Decatur, Alabama
The Carnegie Carnival Parade is held the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday and is set by the liturgical calendar. If the parade were to be canceled by weather, the parade will be rescheduled for the night of Fat Tuesday.
The Carnival parade route begins on Bank Street, at Founder’s Park near the Old State Bank and continues on Lee Street to 2nd Avenue ending at Grant Street.
The full day of Carnegie Carnival events kicks off early with Carnival Frolic 13.1. The family-friendly fun continues all day with kid’s art activities, the Children’s Parade, MardiGrass at the Brick Deli & Tavern, the Canine Parade, and of course the main Evening Carnegie Carnival Parade. Come spend the day in downtown Decatur, Alabama, and experience Mardi Gras… North Alabama style!
No Events Listed at the Moment. Check Back Soon!
Have you ever seen a full-size replica of a wooden pirate ship “sail” down the street? It happens every year at Carnegie Carnival, North Alabama’s Premier Mardi Gras Celebration! Join the Pirate Crewe O’Ye Crooked Goat, the Sirens of Achelous and Skeleton Crewe, Joe Cain’s Merry Widows, that wild and crazy Crewe of Chaos, the Majesties of Marmac, plus many, many more for an unforgettable night of fabulous floats, music, dancing, throws, and most importantly family fun!
2024 Carnival Crewes
• Crewe of Chaos
• Crewe de Voisins Bruyants
• Bacchus by the River
• Crewe O Ye Crooked Goat
• Sirens of Achelous and Skeleton Crewe
• Magic City Disco
• Shaggy Krewe
• Joe Cain’s Merry Widows
• Queen of Dragons
• Krewe de Artist
Start your own crewe!
Want to join in on the fun? Get the details on how to start a crewe of your own!
Once Carnival season is done and the cleanup begins, what in the world do you do with all those beads? Keep supporting local community efforts through the Carnegie’s “Catch and Release” program. Bead recycling is highly encouraged! Simply drop off any unwanted beads at the Carnegie or participating local business, and the kids enrolled in the Decatur High Developmental Program will clean and repackage them to sell at next year’s Carnegie Carnival as a fundraiser for the Developmental Program. Bags of beads sell for approximately $5 for a bag of 100.